As airport experience makers, Synect is always delighted to attend the AAAE/ACI-NA Airport Customer Experience Symposium. This year, our team joined countless conversations on how to improve passenger experiences in the airport.
As passenger volumes rise, so do travelers’ expectations for seamless, stress-free journeys. Crafting memorable, enjoyable airport experiences is now more important than ever. But how are leading airports creating those experiences?
Some are already working with Synect to create future-ready, content-first strategies that use the latest technology to deliver carefully designed and curated content to their passengers. In today’s blog, we’ll focus on the topics expected to improve passengers’ experiences in the coming years.
Putting People First Improves Operations and Influences Behavior
Passenger experiences revolve around people. During his keynote, Tareq Hadhad, a former Syrian refugee and founder and CEO of Peace by Chocolate, emphasized the importance of fostering engagement—both internally with staff and externally with passengers—to enhance airport operations:
“Employee engagement and customer engagement are closely connected, and when both are nurtured, they can have a big impact on your bottom line.”
Engaging passengers at the right moment fosters connection and empowers airports to influence passenger behavior. Engaged passengers:
Navigate security more easily after interacting with content that explains divestment and screening procedures.
Find their gates more easily using dynamic, attention-grabbing wayfinding signage.
Discover exciting concessions after from targeted displays along their route.
Improving passengers’ experiences helps airports unlock new opportunities to increase non-aeronautical revenue. Anticipating passengers’ needs makes their journey painless, and happier travelers are more likely to spend money within the airport. As Synect CEO Yahav Ran pointed out during Synect’s 2024 FTE panel, investing in passenger experience can bring a wide variety of benefits back to the airport:
“If you’re capable of influencing 25% of your passengers into a certain action—whether it's changing operation efficiency, whether it's promoting certain aspects of your airport like concession—that’s your ROI. Your ability to communicate better, stronger, is return on investment.”
Reimagining Legacy Digital Signage
Leading airports are re-evaluating the best ways to present critical information to passengers. During one of our team’s favorite panels at the symposium, Joanne Ma, Deputy General Manager of Terminal and Passenger Experience at the Airport Authority Hong Kong, discussed how Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) has leveraged “smart technology, personalized services,” and physical improvements to build toward a landmark aviation experience.
Outdated digital displays can overwhelm passengers with data, causing confusion at key touchpoints such as security, CBP, and wayfinding. To address this, innovators are leveraging a content-first strategy to improve the passenger experience in the airport.
Orlando International Airport (MCO) has implemented endlessly innovative strategies to create seamless customer experiences. With future-ready digital signage strategy, MCO has increased capacity at check-in, optimized passenger flows, and proactively communicated with passengers in security to create a unified passenger experience for millions of passengers through the airport every year.
As MCO and other innovators look to the future, exceeding passengers' expectations remains a top priority. For MCO, that means embracing new innovations, refining proven strategies, and setting the stage to “provide seamless and efficient connectivity through services, innovation, and technology.” As their strategic plans emphasize:
“By fostering a culture of innovation, the Aviation Authority will stay competitive and also uncover untapped opportunities.”
How DFW Enhances Passenger Experiences with Dynamic Content
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) tested the power of content-first strategy at the Gate of Tomorrow. As DFW re-imagined the passenger experience, they realized that static, one-size-fits-all content would not fulfill their vision.
In partnership with Synect, DFW implemented new content—and a new content management system (CMS)—to create a relaxing, lounge-like atmosphere. State-of-the-art displays showcase carefully curated content designed to streamline and simplify boarding, helping passengers prepare for the process long before the airplane doors open. Proactively communicating these policies helps passengers prepare for the next stage of their journey, reducing anxiety and enhancing passengers' experience at the airport.
Using new technology and innovative techniques, DFW has created an unparalleled passenger experience. The Gate of Tomorrow quickly received popular acclaim and continues to delight passengers as a key component of DFW’s airport-wide visual communication ecosystem.
AI and the Human Touch: The Future of Collaboration in Airport CX
As AI tools become more prominent in the industry, airports are exploring new ways approaches to enhance passenger experiences. AI has the potential to personalize passengers’ journeys and enhance satisfaction, but its true value lies in facilitating better interactions at critical touchpoints.
Balancing technology and the human touch will be essential for creating unforgettable passenger experiences. With Synect’s ReverseAI solution, airports will be positioned to create personal connections with every passenger. ReverseAI recognizes the intent and language of every input, allowing passengers to communicate in their preferred language. The system replies with real-time, contextual responses to enhance wayfinding, recommend concessions, and help passengers easily access the information they need. When a live agent is needed, it can quickly connect passengers with airport personnel for a high-impact experience.
How to Improve Passenger Experience in the Airport: Key Takeaways
We had three packed days in Halifax to talk PaxEx, and there’s still so much to explore! From all the panels, conversations, and questions we heard, four key themes emerged:
Consistency is key: During disruptions and large-scale events, maintaining orderly operations and keeping passengers calm is vital for creating positive passenger experiences.
Prioritize painless pathways: Intuitive wayfinding and clear, engaging content ease friction in traditionally stressful points of the passenger journey.
Emphasize exceptional experiences: Personalized engagement, localized content, and unique airport experiences create memorable moments regardless of how far the passenger has to travel.
Collaboration is essential: As new technologies encourage innovative interactions, collaboration is more essential than ever.
At the heart of every exceptional airport experience is the people making it happen. Improvements don’t happen in a vacuum – it's the result of the hard work and dedication of airport teams that constantly explore how to improve passenger experiences in the airport. By working together, airports can create smarter, seamless experiences to welcome travelers from across the globe.
If you’re ready to build better passenger experiences, get in touch with our team today. If you’d rather speak in person, you’ll be able to catch us at the following events:
Airport Planning Design & Construction Symposium in San Antonio, March 12-14
Airports @Work in Houston, March 24-27
Passenger Terminal Expo in Madrid, April 8-10
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